Coal news and updates

Weekly US coal production slides for 12th straight week: EIA

Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 16 million st in the week ended April 9, the lowest full-week estimate in the last five years, US Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.

The estimate -- 16,029,316 st -- is down 7.7% from the prior week's estimate and down 15.1% from the year-ago week.

While the EIA does not comment on its production estimates, the weekly total marked the 12th straight week of lower production when compared with last year as the coal market continues to deal with the fallout from low natural gas prices.

Coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is mostly made up of production from the Powder River Basin, totaled an estimated 6.9 million st during the week, down 14.4% compared with last year.

Year-to-date coal production in Wyoming and Montana is estimated to total 143.5 million st, down 5.4% compared with the same period last year.

In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.1 million st, down 23.2% from last year. Year-to-date coal production is estimated to total 43 million st, down 11.7% from last year.

Weekly coal production in Northern Appalachia totaled an estimated 2.3 million st, down 12.7% from last year. Year-to-date coal production is estimated to total 47.2 million st, down 2.8% from last year.

In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.2 million st, down 12.1% from last year. For the year, Illinois Basin coal production is estimated to total 45.9 million st, down 6.3% through the same period last year.

The agency, which bases its estimates off rail car loadings, said year-to-date US coal production totals an estimated 331.8 million st, down 6% from the comparable period last year.

source: http://www.platts.com